Paolo Banchero dropped 31 points to help the Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
Desmond Bane added 25 points, Jalen Suggs had 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, and three steals for the Magic, and won for the fourth time in five games.
On the other hand, Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points apiece for Detroit. Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green added 17 each for the Pistons, who had 21 turnovers.
As the Pistons have clinched the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, they were without ight players, including Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Cade Cunningham, who missed his 11th straight game with a collapsed lung.
While Orlando is playing in the packed middle of the Eastern Conference standings, it kept alive its chances of finishing as high as sixth.
However, with three games remaining in the regular season, the Magic could also finish as low as 10th.
The Magic played without forward Franz Wagner, whose high ankle sprain was subject to “injury management” after his three-game return from a long absence.
Bane sank two triples in a span of 16 seconds to put them up 33-31 early in the second, and they led the rest of the game.
Banchero scored twice during a 12-0 run that stretched Orlando’s lead to 26 points late in the third.
Green and Huerter led a late rally by the Pistons, and a 3-pointer by Jenkins cut the margin to three points with 4:07 left before the Magic pulled away.
Both teams will play home games on Wednesday: the Pistons host the Bucks, while the Magic host the Timberwolves.
